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While many NFL players are just beginning their long offseason vacation, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel quickly got back into football mode, Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star reports.

He rested for a few days, and then his mind began to wander again.

His body followed, and it led him to his car, and that took him to Chiefs headquarters. He watched game footage from the season, a particularly cruel thing for a man to do to himself. Then he went upstairs to meet with coach Todd Haley.

Later, he’d meet with new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, and they’d talk about the plays and the schemes that might help them all scratch an itch that doesn’t just go away.

When Cassel’s teammates scattered to their hometowns, Cassel passed on escaping to his native California and instead remained in Kansas City.

“My home,” he said. “This is where I live.”

While others let their bodies heal, Cassel spent mornings in his neighborhood’s gym. Then, because in his mind there’s little else to do but prepare for games still months away, he heads to the practice facility.

It was nearly a year ago that the Chiefs committed to Cassel, and he said that it’s only right that he returns the favor.

Cassel said he would find time to relax this offseason, and he planned to visit family in California this month. But before he goes, there is work to be done. It was about 1 p.m. on a Wednesday, and he was just getting started.

His morning workout behind him, he was headed upstairs to meet with coaches. If they had a project for Cassel to start on, he said he would take it on. If there were new concepts they wanted him to start thinking about, he said he’d plant them in his mind.

He said there’s no better time than the offseason to establish chemistry and understanding with his coaches, and find ways that they might someday all make it back to the Super Bowl.

“It’ll be great once we get this thing headed in the right direction,” Cassel said. “Things are going to be tough. I mean, my whole career has been faced with adversity.”

This is great news for all Chiefs fans.

Cassel isn’t the only player working out right now, but as far as we know he is the only one working with the coaches on a daily basis at the team facilities. After being forced to pick up a brand new offense when Haley fired Chan Gailey, it should be like night and day next year with Cassel having roughly 5 months of working with Charlie Weis on his scheme before the first day of training camp.

I know there are a lot of people out there that have yet to buy in to Matt Cassel being a franchise quarterback. And while this extra work doesn’t guarantee any more wins next season, it has to make some of the doubters feel a lot better about Cassel going into next season.

Posted in Matt Cassel on February 14th, 2010RSS 2.0 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.